BLACK PAPER is currently in its third week of casting.  I've had some excellent (and some not-so-excellent) candidates participate in the audition process so far.  There are a few more to go, and then I'll probably be doing callbacks next week or the week after.  It's too bad I'm going to have to turn down some of these fine performers, but there are only a handful of characters in the film.  No room for everyone.

Hi, I'm Joshua Courtade -- the writer, producer, and director of Chuck's Boy's first feature film BLACK PAPER.  In this blog, I'll be keeping you updated on the progress of the production.

To start, there are basically five stages of making a movie:
1. Development.  This is where the script is written and certain cast and crew members are attached to the project.  The initial budget is created, and the script is broken down for budget and scheduling.  Fundraising begins here and continues throughout the project.
2. Pre-production.  In this stage, all of the necessary cast and crew members are hired.  We lock down our locations, and rehearse the actors like crazy.  The director creates a shot list, and the schedule is organized by the line producer and the 1st assistant director.
3. Production.  Usually the shortest phase of the process, this is where the actors act and the crew records them.
4. Post-production.  Here, the scenes are edited, the color is corrected, and the film is scored by a composer.
5. Marketing & Distribution.  Technically, this happens from Day One, not at the end of the process.  It's important to begin marketing the film early in order to build an audience.  When the film is finally distributed, the audience needs to know that they can see it!

So where are we right now?  Since BLACK PAPER is a microbudget film operating on a very tight schedule, we're in a sort of overlap period between development and pre-production.  Local actor Robert William Ford has been cast in the role of Dan, and we're currently auditioning actors for the other roles.  The script has been broken down, and production dates have been scheduled (November 10-18, 2012).  A few key crew members are attached at this point, including Anthony E. Griffin (our director of photography), Diane Kowalski & Amy Vos (art department), and Chris Porter (composer).

We've also formed a company called Black Paper Media LLC which will serve as the official owner of the project.  Fundraising is currently happening through the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo. (Check out the campaign, and please contribute if you can!  Every little bit helps!)

So an awful lot is going on right now.  I'll do my best to keep you all posted on the project's progress over the next few months.